Our Reaching Hands
by R.L BlackRose
Summary: When Finn decides that he needs a girlfriend, he goes to Bubblegum. But, then he discovers that Marceline loves someone who's with someone else. Will Finn go out with Bubblegum? Will Marceline ever be with the one she loves whoever that is ? Find out! [OLD]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well, so... here goes! I hope someone reads this and enjoys this. I worked pretty hard on it... if I get even ONE subscription or something, I'll keep writing. I'm a very consistent writer, like, one chapter per day. Don't subscribe if you don't like it, though. I want to know the truth! I hope you enjoy... and please review! Even bad reviews make me feel nice. Don't hold back if you hate the story. Thanks, and... hope you enjoy!**

Chapter One

Finn lay on his bed in his tree house, arms behind his head.

"Huh." he said. "I wonder when Jake'll be back?"

Jake had told him that he was going off to a date with Lumpy Space Princess

"Why do you want to date... her?" Finn had said, disbelieving.

"Calm down, man!" Jake had said, holding his paws up. "Maybe behind the gross purple exterior, she's really nice inside!"

"And plus," he went on, whispering now into Finn's ear. "I still think that the lumpy stuff outside is a costume. Princesses are always beautiful, right? So... I think she's hiding it!"

Jake had then stretched out the window.

"That's the stupidest idea EVER!" Finn had shouted.

"You're just jealous because you've never gone on a date!" Jake had called back. Then, he was gone.

Jake's words echoed in his head.

_You've never gone on a date...! You've never gone on a date...! You've never gone on a date...!_

"No!" said Finn to himself. "I fight against evil! People like me have no need to go on a date!"

An image if Princess Bubblegum floated across his mind.

"Yep. People like me definitely don't need... dates...!" he said, with an unsure voice. He then turned over in his bed and closed his eyes.

_Finn was standing outside of Bubblegum's castle in the kingdom of Ooo._

_ "Hey Finn!" she called down from a tower_

_ "Hey, Princess Bubblegum!" Finn called from the ground. "Why did you call me? Is someone in trouble?" He whipped out his sword._

_ Princess Bubblegum laughed. "No, Finn!" she said. "There's just... something I've wanted to ask you."_

_ "What?" said Finn, lowering his sword._

_ "Well... will you go out with me?" said Princess Bubblegum, blushing._

_ "What? Uh... um... uh...!" Then, Finn closed his eyes. "Sure!"_

_ "Really? Oh, thank you!" said..._

_ The ice king?_

_ The Ice King fluttered his eyelids. "Let's kiss!" he said._

Finn shot out of his bed, breathing hard.

"Omigosh, omigosh!" he said. His forehead was drenched in sweat. His breathing slowed down to normal. And then... he remembered his dream again.

"GAAAAAH! OH, GROSS, OH GROSS!" he said, curling up in a fetal position.

"Okay, that's it!" said Finn. He slid out of bed. "I have GOT to get a..."

Finn squeezed his eyes shut as the last word reluctantly came out.

"Girlfriend!"

Sunshine streamed through the tree house's window the next morning. Finn blinked twice, then opened his eyes. It was morning!

He looked towards Jake's bed. It was empty.

"Huh." he said to himself. "You'd think he'd be back by-"

Suddenly, the door opened. It was Jake!

Jake stumbled towards his bed and toppled in. "Whew!" he said, tired. "I'm pooped. 'Night, Finn!" His hand stretched out across the room and turned off the light.

"But... but wait!" said Finn, confused. "It's morning!"

The only response that Jake gave was a loud snore.

"Oh, well." said Finn. "I guess I'll have to go outside. I don't want to wake up my buddy, after all." He climbed out of the tree house and landed on the grassy ground. It was wet with the morning's dew.

"Where to go, where to go?" he said. Then, he remembered the pledge that he'd made himself the previous night.

"Oh yeah! Princess Bubblegum!" he said, smacking his forehead. "Duh!" But then, his eyes drifted down to his shoes.

"But where to start, where to start?" he said to himself. "Who knows about girls?"

And then, a lightbulb came on above his head. "I got it!" he said. "Marceline!"

But then, memories from the last time Marceline had tried to help him get Princess Bubblegum to go to the movies with him flashed in front of his eyes.

"Well... maybe, after seeing what happened...!" He shuddered. "Last... time, she'll be able to give me better advice!"

He nodded confidently. "Anyway. I haven't seen Marceline in like, ages!" Finn smiled. "And she is my friend after all!"

He started walking looked both ways, and then stopped. "JUST my friend! Nothing else!"

_I've got to get over this paranoia._ thought Finn, sheepishly, and then kept walking.

Finn eventually arrived at Marceline's cottage.

"Well, here goes!" he said to himself. He was about to knock on the door, when he heard a noise.

"Huh, I wonder what that noise is!" he muttered to himself, and peeked into the window.

Marceline was standing in jeans and striped tank top, with her raven-black hair in a ponytail that cascaded in short waves down her back. In her hand, she held her axe-bass, connected to an amp beside her. She appeared to be strumming the instrument and singing.

_Huh._ thought Finn. _I wonder what she's singing?_ Making sure that she wasn't looking his way, he raised the window a little bit, so the sound could come through.

It did, and Marceline's low voice reached his ears, softly crooning a song.

"When I see your shining face,

My small, red heart quickens it's pace.

Because even though I'm already dead,

You make the blood rise to my head."

"Your happy, sweet little smile

Makes me feel alive just a little while,

You make me rise up above,

And I think it just might be love."

Finn listened intently. "Wow!" he whispered to himself. "Marceline loves someone! Good for her!"

He smiled. "I bet she's going out with him!"

"But no matter how much I want you,

There's someone else who wants you too.

A gal, prettier than I still stands

Between our reaching hands..."

"And no matter how much I want you to know,

I don't know how to show,

Show you that we are destined to be

Forever and ever, just you..."

Marceline looked down at her bass, strumming once more. A single tear leaked from the corner of one glistening eye, and then her eyelids gently closed

"And me..."

Then, Marceline lifted off her bass and set it on the bed beside her. She went over to a recording machine and clicked play before flopping onto her bed, her hands behind her head. She gazed at the ceiling as the recorder played her song.

Marceline closed her eyes and hummed along.

Finn closed the window.

"Huh." he said, scratching his head. "So... Marceline is in love, but can't be with the person she does?"

Finn stood. "I need to help her! I came here with my stupid request, but instead of asking her for something, I'll help her! Yeah, an adventure!"

Jake wasn't there, so he fist bumped the air. "Yeah!"

He then opened the door. "Marceline!" he said.

Marceline shot up and immediately turned off the recorder.

"Finn!" she said angrily. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"It's okay!" said Finn, ignoring her question. "I hear everything from outside!"

Marceline turned red. "Everything? But wait, my window's are soundproof! How-?"

"Shhh..." said Finn, holding a finger up to his lips while Marceline stood, steaming before him. "I heard everything."

Marceline turned redder. "Everything...?"

"Well, not everything!" said Jake, cheerfully. "Just from the part that was, like, when you see his shining face... and then the rest of it!"

"Oh." said Marceline, letting out a breath of air. "So... you didn't hear everything. Good."

"But I heard enough!" said Finn. "And I want to help you with your problem!"

"Oh, I don't think you can help with this particular problem, Finn." said Marceline, sadly fingering her bass's strings.

"Ah, but I can!" said Finn. "Just tell me anything you want! I can help!"

"Hey..." said Marceline, suspicous. "Why where you here in the first place?"

"Er..." said Finn. "I wanted your help for something. But that is of no importance!"

"Yes it is, Finn." said Marceline. "Anything to take my mind off this. That's how you could help me."

"Well... okay." said Finn. "But after that, I'll help you! You can't run away from your fears!"

"What about your loves?" murmured Marceline.

Finn was silent. He didn't know what to respond to that.

"Anyway." said Marceline, pulling one leg up to her chest. "So, what's up?"

Finn twisted his foot inwards. "So... you know Princess Bubblegum?"

"Yeah. Why?" said Marceline.

"Well. I want to go out with her. How do I tell her?" said Finn.

It was like a shadow had passed over Marceline's face. Finn, however, caught up in his embarrassment, didn't notice this.

"So you want to go out with her, huh." said Marceline. "So, here's what you gotta do. Just tell her. Girls like it when guys are confident and brave."

"But... I can't just... tell her, just like that!" squeaked Finn in terror. "What if she says no?"

"Learn to accept rejection." said Marceline. "C'mon, you can do it. After all, what's the worst that could happen?"

"You're right, Marceline!" said Finn. "I've gotta be brave! Thanks!" he rushed out the door, but then peeked back in.

"And after this, I'm solving your problem!" he said, and winked before running off.

The minute the door closed, Marceline sank her face into her pillow. When she got up, there were two, dark spots of water on it.

She turned on her recorder, lay down, and closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay, so, here it is! Chapter Two! Thank you for the two that reviewed, Shadowgrl and Shyemokid129, and my one subscriber, ****GreenBird of BlueSky. I will continue my story because of you guys! Okay, sooo... hope you enjoy!**

**Disc- LAME-er: I DONT OWN THIS STUFF.**

Chapter Two

Finn stood in front of Princess Bubblegum's castle.

"Oooh no. Okay, calm down, Finn." he said to himself, clenching his fists. "It's just a date, after all... right? I bet she's already been to tons of dates before."

Still, there were butterflies in Finn's stomach.

"What if she doesn't really like me?" Finn said, suddenly. Then, he slapped himself. "No man, get a grip! I am going to ask out Princess Bubblegum if it's the last thing I do!"

"Yaaaaah!" he screamed, rushing at the tower. Then he stopped and looked up.

"Princess Bubblegum?" he called up. There was no answer, so Finn sucked in a deep breath.

"PRINCESS BUBBLE-!"

"I'm here, I'm here!" he heard, and saw, silhouetted against the bright Ooo sun...

Princess Bubblegum.

The sun glinted off her pink hair.

"Hey Finn!" she called down, waving. "You called?"

Finn blushed and scraped the ground with his foot. "Y-yeah... P-P-Princess Bubblegum... I have something to tell... you...!" he squeaked.

Bubblegum stared at him, curious. "Something to tell... me?" Then, she smiled. "Well, tell me, then!"

Finn's breath caught in his throat. "Princess... Bubblegum..."

"Yes?" she asked sweetly.

"Would you..." Finn gulped. "Would you go out with me?"

"Oh, Finn!" said Princess Bubblegum, clasping her hands. "I thought you'd never ask!" Then, she leaned over the balcony.

"So... where do you want to go? And when?"

Finn twitched. He hadn't thought of that!

"Um... how about just a picnic in the forest? At seven?" he said, flinching. _No, no, no! Don't girls like fancy restaurants, or something?_

"Oooh, that sounds perfect!" said Princess Bubblegum. "I'll be there! Meet me at the clearing! See ya!" Then, she pulled back into the castle and shut the door.

"YES!" shouted Finn, jumping up and punching the air. "I'm going out with Princess Bubblegum!" Then, he danced around in happiness for a while before starting to head back for his tree house.

He didn't notice someone watching from close by.

Marceline sat in the shade of a tree. She had seen everything.

She stood up, transformed into a bat, and then she flew away, wings rustling in the breeze.

A while later, Finn burst into the tree house. Jake screamed.

"Guess what, Jake?" said Finn.

"Hey, man, don't scare me like that!" muttered Jake.

"GUESS WHAT?" shouted Finn,

"All right, what, what?" muttered Jake, annoyed.

"I got a date!" he said smugly.

"Good for you, man!" said Jake, giving Finn a high five. "So, who's the lucky girl?"

"Princess Bubblegum!" said Finn, putting his hands on his hip.

"Ohoho! Congratulations, dude!" said Jake.

Finn ceased his celebration. "Hey, Jake, by the way... how's your date with Lumpy Space Princess go?"

"She won't admit that she's hiding her true appearance!" said Jake.

"I already told you, man, she's not hiding! Maybe in space, that's what's considered... beautiful!" said Finn,

"Nah, man," said Jake, shaking his head. "I know she's hiding. You just wait, buddy, I'll get her yet!"

Finn rolled his eyes and leaned against a wall. "So, whatcha wanna do today?" he asked.

"Idunno." said Jake.

Then, Finn remembered something. "Marceline!" he said. "I promised to help her! I gotta go, Jake!" he said, and ran out.

"Have fun!" called Jake.

Finn ran to Marceline's cottage. It looked... dark.

He knocked on the door. "Marceline!" he called.

No one answered.

He raised his eyebrows and knocked again. "MARCELINE!" he called again.

"Coming!" he heard, and then the door opened.

"Marceline!" said Finn in surprise. "You look terrible!"

"Thanks for the compliment." said Marceline dryly.

"No, not that way!" said Finn, turning red and holding up his hands. "You just look... sad. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." said Marceline.

"Come on, tell me!" said Finn.

Marceline looked at him with tired eyes for a moment. "Come in." she said, opening the door. Finn stepped inside.

Marceline sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her. Fin sat down too.

"Marceline?" he said.

"Finn," said Marceline, closing her eyes. "How do you tell a boy that you like him?"

The question caught Finn completely by surprise. "Uh... um... I don't know!"

Marceline opened her eyes and looked at him. "You don't know?"

"But..." said Finn. "I've never been told by someone something like that before!"

Marceline gazed at him. "Well... picture it. What would you like?"

"Well... first, it would have to be in the right timing." said Finn.

"Go on." sad Marceline.

"And also," said Finn, going faster. "It would have to sound real. Not like they just randomly decided to date me."

Marceline nodded. "That's it?" she said.

Finn nodded.

Marceline flopped onto her bed. "Well, that didn't help." she said darkly.

"Marceline... what's wrong?" said Finn, worried. "Is it about that guy you like?"

"Yeah." said Marceline. "He's dating someone."

"WHAT?" said Finn. "Why don't you tell me who it is so I can tell them to-!"

"Oh, Finn." said Marceline. "I thought you'd say something like that. No, no. I'm starting to think I should give up."

"Give up?" said Finn. "But... giving up is bad!"

"Finn... can we just do something to take my mind off this?" said Marceline.

"Uh... sure!" said Finn. "Whadya wanna do?"

Marceline's eyes glinted. "How about... helping me feed?"

"Sure, Marceline!" said Finn. "Who do you wanna get first?"

"Well..." said Marceline, smiling a fanged grin.

Many hours later, they both stumbled into the cottage and collapsed on the floor.

"Whew!" said Finn. "That was AWESOME!"

"No kidding!" laughed Marceline. "Did you see that guys face? He totally thought we were after his blood!"

"Haha, yeah." said Finn. "That was fun! And with the pack of wolves and the angry piggies?"

"Yeah, that was the best!" said Marceline. She giggled and closed her eyes. "I'm tired."

"Me too!" said Finn. "Totally worth it, though."

"You bet." said Marceline.

Finn suddenly looked at his watch. "Oh no, I gotta go!" he said, springing up.

"You have to go?" lamented Marceline, rolling onto her stomach. "Can't you just stay a little while longer?"

"Sorry, Marceline, maybe tomorrow!" said Finn. "It's six thirty, I have a date in thirty minutes! Bye!"

Finn waved and bounded out the door.

Marceline stood up and got into her bed.

"Bye, Finn." she whispered, and turned on her recorder.

Finn got to the clearing, huffing.

"Yes, I got here on time!" said Finn. "With one minute to spare!"

"Hey, Finn!" said Princess Bubblegum. "I brought a picnic basket!"

"Great!" said Finn.

Princess Bubblegum spread a blanket on the forest floor. Then, she took out some sandwiches and laid them on it.

"Tasty!" said Finn, sitting down.

"Yeah, I hope they are." said Princess Bubblegum. "I made them myself."

"So," said Finn. "What's been up with you lately?"

"Oh, nothing much." said Princess Bubblegum. "It's been pretty peaceful in my kingdom. The Ice King hasn't visited even ONCE!"

"That's a good thing, right?" said Finn.

"Well... maybe." said Princess Bubblegum, taking a bite of sandwich. "He might be planning something."

"Mmm. True." said Finn.

"Hey, so... what's up with you?" said Princess Bubblegum.

"Me? Hm, let's see... OH! I just had the AWESOMEST adventure EVER! I went with Marceline to-!"

"Marceline?" said Princess Bubblegum with a disapproving voice.

"Yeah!" said Finn. "You know... Marceline the Vampire Queen?"

"Oh, yes. I know her." said Princess Bubblegum. "But... I don't understand. Why are you hanging out with... _her_?"

"Because she's nice!" said Finn. He decided not to tell Princess Bubblegum about Marceline's mysterious love dilemma. "And.. she's fun!"

Princess Bubblegum just took a bite of her sandwich.

"What?" said Finn. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know..." said Princess Bubblegum. "I just wouldn't expect someone like you to be hanging out with someone like... _her._"

"What do you mean?" said Finn.

"Well... she's all creepy and... _dead._" said Princess Bubblegum. "And just weird in general."

"Nah," said Finn. "She's just a little lonely."

"You know why she's lonely? Because no one wants to see her, Finn. Don't you see?"

"Well... I still like her." said Finn. "She's a good friend."

The two sat in silence for a while before Finn asked her about her kingdom, and then they both started a conversation and forgot the previous conversation about Marceline.

The Ice King sat in his castle and giggled. He was looking into a crystal ball.

"Gunther!" he called. "Come here so I can tell you about my latest evil plan!"

Gunther waddled over. "Squock, squock?" (penguin noises)

"Hey, Gunther! I've just had the most wonderful idea!" he said, rubbing his hands together.

"Squock?" said Gunther, curious.

"Glad you asked." said the Ice King. "Okay, so, up until now, all I've done is try to kidnap princesses, right?"

"Squock." confirmed Gunther.

"Well," said the Ice King. "Why just stop there? Why try for the princesses when you can get... a queen?"

"Squock squock squock, squock?" asked Gunther.

"Ah, but not ALL of them are very well protected!" The Ice King pointed out. "Only MOST of them are."

He gazed down at his crystal ball as it started glowing.

"And I know one in particular who isn't." he sneered. He ran his finger down the ball as he gazed into it.

The image on it was Marceline, asleep on her bed next to her axe-bass with her recorder still playing her song.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Sorry, this is a bit short... but don't worry, next chapter will be longer! And possibly the last one. Anyway... hope you enjoy! I OWN NOTHING! !**

Chapter Three

Marceline lay in her bed, letting out soft "snoo" noises as she slept.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she sat up.

There was someone outside her door.

"Who's there?" she called. "Finn, is that-"

The door burst open.

"Hey, ever heard of knocking?" she called.

"Oh, yes!" said a voice. "I just choose not to!"

And then the Ice king emerged from the dust of the fallen door.

Marceline stepped back and snatched up her axe-bass. She held it in front of her, glinting. "You better not come any closer, loser." she growled.

The Ice King smiled and stepped closer. "Oh, why would you look at that!" he said smugly. "I stepped closer!"

Marceline's grip tightened on her axe-bass. "What are you playing at...?" she said, suspiciously.

"Me?" said the Ice King, in a fake surprised voice. "Nothing, nothing!"

"Don't mess with me." said Marceline coldly. "I know what you do." she said, her lips turning up at the corners. "And I'm stronger than I look."

"Hehe." said the Ice King. "Oh, I know that."

_Why doesn't he look worried?_ thought Marceline, confused. _I'm THE Vampire Queen! _

"Leave now." she said, pointing towards the door.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." said the Ice King, and chuckled.

"Why not?" said The Ice King. "Anyway... it's not your choice anymore."

"Huh?" said Marceline. "But-"

Suddenly a small object barrelled into her legs, shouting "SQUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOORK!"

"AH!" said Marceline, caught completely by surprise. She fell over.

"Oof!" she said. Her axe-bass lay a few feet away. She reached for it, but suddenly a foot came down on her hand, and she winced as she felt a crunch.

"I don't think so!" said the Ice King. Then, Marceline suddenly saw a foot swinging at her face. It hit right on, and the world spun.

"SQUORK!" shouted Gunter, and then the Ice King froze Marceline's arms to her body.

"You can't do this!" she shouted. _How did I get beaten so easily?_ she thought angrily. _I should have been more careful!_

"Oh, but I just did!" said The Ice King. Marceline struggled against her icy bonds, but couldn't break free.

"YOU PIECE OF-!" she started saying, but then her mouth was frozen.

"Watch your mouth, young lady!" said the Ice King, picking her up. He carried her to a bag then stuffed her in.

Then, he closed the zipper.

It was dark, smelly and cramped in the bag. Marceline couldn't move. She could barely breathe.

And then it started moving.

_Finn...! _was the last thing she thought before passing out.

Finn jolted awake.

"Jake!" he shouted. "Jake, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" muttered Jake. "Lemme sleep."

"I heard someone say my name!" said Finn.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." said Jake.

"Lazy!" scoffed Finn, and got out of bed. "I better go check outside. I feel like someone called to me!"

He stepped outside. It was raining, and the wind blew stray drops into his face.

"Nope... nothing!" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Huh."

He looked up at the clouds.

"Hey!" he said. "If there's no sun, maybe I could hang out with Marceline!"

His sleepiness gone, he started towards her cottage.

"Why was I sleeping during the day, anyway?" he said to himself, confused.

It was a while before he got to Marceline's cottage.

He knocked on the door.

"Marceline!" he called. No one answered.

"Oh, Marceline!" he said. The world was silent but for the sound of rain pattering onto the ground.

"Come on!" he shouted. "It's Finn!"

He knocked on the door again, but this time, it fell forward and a cloud of dust went up.

"Oh no, Marceline's door!" said Finn. But then he became aware of something else.

"Huh." he said. "Marceline's not home."

And then, as his eyes adjusted, he saw the state of the cottage and gasped.

There was ice. Lots of ice.

And Marceline's guitar lay next to a pool of... a pool of...

"Blood." whispered Finn.

He stepped in. "What... what happened here?" he muttered.

Finn knelt and saw something on the floor. It was... it was...

"A penguin track!" shouted Finn. "It's the Ice King!"

He looked around. "The Ice King took Marceline! Oh no, oh no! What do I do?"

Then, he smiled. "I know! I'll ask Princess Bubblegum. She probably knows where the Ice King's secret base is now!"

He ran out of the cottage.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Marceline woke up, she was tied to a chair.

"What the...?" she muttered sleepily. Then, she remembered and jolted awake.

She was in a chair with flickering candles surrounding it.

"Where am I?" she said.

"Hello, my dear!" said the Ice King.

"You!" hissed Marceline, baring her fangs.

The Ice King walked up to her. "You can't do a thing to me! You're tied to a chair!" he said, clapping his hands in delight. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Marceline glowered from her chair. "What do you want?" she spat.

"Oh, I'm just lonely!" said The Ice King. "All I want is love!"

"You are one messed up loser." said Marceline.

The Ice King ignored her. "Oh, Marceline." he said. "Would you marry me?"

"No, never!" she shouted. "Not while the... uh, unlife... is in me!"

"Oh, what a shame!" said the Ice King with malice. "Well... if you don't agree, I could, say... introduce you to my little friend!"

"You little friend?" said Marceline. "What the-?"

The Ice King cut her off. "You see," he said. "There's a new breed of penguins that I'm breeding. They are bigger than the rest, giant in fact. However, they come with one bad thing. They are very carnivorous. No, fish just won't do!"

He leaned in close to her ear. "They thirst for blood." he whispered.

Then. he straightened up. "So, I'll make it simple. Be my wife, or I will feed you to my giant cannibal penguin."

Marceline's eyes widened. "That's... that's very evil, even for you!"

"What can I say?" said the Ice King darkly. "I'm getting desperate."

"You're sick." spat Marceline.

"And YOU have exactly five hours to decide if you want to be penguin food. I hope you think it through carefully!" said The Ice King, then laughed as he closed the door. It slammed shut, and it was pitch black inside the room. All the candles blew out.

"What'll I do?" whispered Marceline to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: OMG I AM SO SORRY AAAAAH It has taken me WAY too long to update! I've just been working on another fanfiction, a Naruto one, and it's sucked up all my time. But then I saw how many people had subscribed, and I was like "YA KNOW WHAT? I MUST SATISFY MY READERS." **

Chapter Four

Finn walked back into Marceline's cottage and sat heavily on her bed.

His meeting with Princess Bubblegum... well, it hadn't gone too well.

FLAAAAAASHBACK:

Finn banged on Princess Bubblegum's castle. "OPEN UP OPEN UP OPEN UP!" he called.

"What, what is it?" said Princess Bubblegum, peeking out of the window in a tower.

"Princess Bubblegum!" said Finn. "I need your help!"

"Why?" said the princess, annoyed.

"Marceline's been taken! By the Ice King!" said Finn.

"So?" scoffed Princess Bubblegum.

"I need your help to get her back! The Ice King is evil!"

"It was her fault for getting captured." sneered Bubblegum.

Finn blinked, surprised. "Wait. Wha...?"

"She must be pretty stupid and weak for the Ice King to just take her like that." Princess Bubblegum snickered.

"What are you _saying_?" said Finn. "Marceline's our friend! She needs our help!"

"Oh, come on!" said Princess Bubblegum, rolling her eyes and sighing heavily. "She's weird and creepy. Why would I help her?"

"Because...!" said Finn. "She's..." he gritted his teeth. "Why are you saying that? It's so unlike you!"

"Finn." said Princess Bubblegum. "You've gotta choose. Her, or me?"

Anger bubbled up inside Finn. "HER! I chose her! I would never date someone as stuck up and shallow as YOU!"

Princess Bubblegum's eyes narrowed. "You'll pay for this, Finn! Guards!"

END OF FLAAAAAAAAAASHBACK

"How am I going to get Marceline back now?" muttered Finn. "Even an hero like me isn't stronger than the Ice King!"

His gaze drifted over to Marceline's recorder. At a loss for anything else to do, he rewinded it and pressed play.

Finn heard the familiar chords, rhythm and tempo that he'd heard through the window of her cottage when he came to visit her.

"Hey." he said, surprised. "It's that song she was playing about the guy she liked and couldn't have or something. Wonder who that was?"

And then Marceline's voice, sweet and firm, came out of the recorder.

I love you, love you at heart

But we will always be apart

Our reaching hands have gotten near

But yours is still there and mine's still here.

I want you so, so bad

You were the sweetest henchman I ever had,

And I hope saying this is not a sin,

But I love you, I love you Finn.

When I see your shining face-"

Finn hit the pause button, mouth gaping.

"Marceline... likes... ME?" he said.

Of course.

He slapped his head with his hand.

So, so obvious...

All along...

"You know what?" Finn said to himself, standing up. "I've got to make this right."

He charged out the door, waving his golden sword.

"I'M COMING, MARCELINE!"

His cry echoed through the trees, and birds flew out of some nearby pines, shrieking loudly as they rose into the sky.

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Marceline looked up as the door cracked open, revealing a large silhouette in the doorway.

"Have you made your decision yet, my dear?" said the Ice King.

"Yeah." said Marceline angrily. "No deal."

"You insolent...!" said the Ice King. "Ice soldiers! Feed her to the giant penguin!"

A few humanoid shapes made of blocks of ice seized Marceline and tied her hands behind her back.

"I can't be _that_ ugly, can I?" said the Ice King, pulling out a mirror as the soldiers dragged Marceline along the dusty floor to her doom.

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Finn huffed and panted, jumping off the train he'd hitched a ride on and hitting the ground running.

"Gotta hurry, gotta hurry, gotta hurry!" he gasped. "Marceline needs me! Her time's running out!"

He suddenly screeched to a stop, seeing a familiar rainbow-colored shape following close behind him.

He drew his sword, shouting "YAAAAAH!" but stopped.

"Lady Raninicorn?" he said. "But... Princess Bubblegum-!"

She turned on her universal translator. "I want to help you and Marceline. It doesn't matter what the Princess wants to or doesn't want to do."

"Awesome!" said Finn, hopping on to. "Ice Kings Palace! Quickly!"

Lady Raninicorn whinnied and spun into the sky. The turrets of the Ice King's castle were seen over the treetops in the distance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The guards flung Marceline into a huge room made of Ice.

"Meaty! Dinner!" one of them called, before shutting the door.

Marceline ran at the door and pounded it with her fists.

"Lemmee out!" she shouted, but she stopped. No one would want to listen, anyway.

She suddenly heard heavy waddling footsteps behind her and turned.

Before her was a giant penguin, foaming at the mouth.

"SQWWWUUUUUUOOOOOOK!" it roared, and the roar shook the room.

Marceline backed into a corner, freaked out.

The penguin brought it's beak down, but Marceline dodged lightly.

"Vampire Zappy Powers!" she said, and beams of light sprung from her hands-

But suddenly, she found them to be encased in ice, and looked up. She saw the Ice King watching from a window high above.

"No cheating!" he shouted.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want to hurt the giant, flesh eating penguin." muttered Marceline sarcastically, falling over as the penguin unleashed yet another of it's long, bloodcurdling howls.

It backed her into a corner and reached down with a flipper. The strong, muscled flipper wrapped around Marceline and lifted her into the air.

_This is it. _she thought, as the she saw the penguin's gaping mouth under her. _And what a way to die. Eaten by a giants penguin. Not exactly a dignified way to go._

Marceline kicked, even though she knew that it was useless, as the penguin lowered her slowly into it's mouth.

_God, just let it be over already._ she thought, looking away.

And then, the flipper release her and she slid into the penguins mouth.

It was slippery and slimy, and she fell.

"NO!" she shouted, as she saw the penguins beak closing, and crawled forward to try to escape. But then the beak snapped shut, and she was in darkness.

She felt the papillae (hair-like things found in a penguin's mouth... just a little penguin fact for ya) feeling her, and sliding her deeper into the penguins mouth.

The fleshy walls squeezed her and pulsed as she slid farther down.

And the, the whole world tilted, and a howl blasted through the penguin's mouth as the beak turned upright and cracked open a little.

Marceline fell down the throat, reaching out to grab something, anything-

And then a strong hand gripped hers, and pulled her up, up the throat, out of the beak, out of the penguin.

Marceline tumbled onto a coating of feathers, and gasped for breath before looking up to see who had saved her.

And there he was.

Finn, standing victorious over the defeated penguin.

"Marceline, I'm here!" he said. His eyes softened. "And... I heard your song. All of it."

Marceline blushed. "Finn... you..."

"I'm sorry I didn't see it before." said Finn. "I... I really like you Marceline."

Marceline looked up at him weakly, and with the last of her strength, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting her lips on his.

And they kissed.

The world exploded around them both, a fiery passion flaring up.

Marceline was suddenly overwhelmed by her near-death experience and the kiss. Her eyes flickered and she slid to the ground, losing consciousness.

"HEY!" said the Ice King, hovering above him. "No fair! I wanted the penguin to eat her!"

"EAT THIS!" said Finn, raising his sword-

But the penguin rose up beneath him, and he fell, Marceline's limp form also falling beside him.

It stood up, swallowed the Ice King in one gulp, and fell back down.

"Or... be eaten." he said, sliding his sword back into it's sheath. "That's okay too."

He picked up Marceline in his arms and walked outside, where Lady Rainicorn was waiting.

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**Prolouge**

Marceline and Finn sat in Finn and Jake's tree house.

Marceline had officially become part of their hero team, helping them with quests and cooking things for them (because everyone had started to really get sick of Jake's waffle casserole.)

"How can it be a waffle casserole, whatever that may be... if it's _green?" _Marceline had asked.

"Uh... Idunno." Jake had said. "It tastes... okay!"

On this particular day, Finn and Marceline were fixing a hole in the roof that had begun leaking. It ended up in a board fight, which ended up in them, tired out by their game, sitting on the floor.

"Hey, Jake's back from his date with Lumpy Space Princess!" said Finn. He stood up and went outside, and Marceline followed.

"Guys, get in!" said Jake. "We're going on an adventure with my girlfriend!"

Sitting in the drivers seat of the car was a very... erm, let's say..._curvy_ girl. She waved, fluttering her long eyelashes.

"Who's that?" said Finn.

"And why is she... _purple_?" added Marceline.

"Oh, this is Lumpy Space Princess... minus the lumps!" said Jake. "I was right, the lumpy exterior was a costume! Now, get in!"

Finn and Marceline hopped in.

"Woohoo, let's go!" shouted Marceline.

"Yeah!" said Finn.

And as they rode into the sunrise, Finn brought Marceline's face close to his and they kissed, together as they drove off to face the world.

**.,¸¸,ø°º¤ |-****THE END-|****¤º°ø,¸¸,.**


End file.
